OTTAWA — Canadian Olympic swimmer Ruslan Gaziev has been suspended 18 months for anti-doping rule violations.
The 24-year-old from Toronto failed to provide drug testers with a quarterly outline of his schedule and provide a 60-minute period each day when he would be available for out-of-competition testing.
Gaziev had three confirmed "whereabouts failures" over a 12-month period, the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport said Thursday in a statement.
Between January 2023 and August 2023, the CCES recorded two missed tests and one filing failure.
“We understand that Ruslan did not keep his whereabouts information fully up-to-date and was therefore not available for required testing. Ruslan has explained to us that it was inadvertent,” acting Swimming Canada cheif executive officer Suzanne Paulins said in a statement.
“Anti-doping regulations are in place to ensure a level playing field for all athletes, and we are committed to the enforcement and support of the Canadian Anti-Doping Program. It is certainly disappointing news for Ruslan, his teammates and all of us at Swimming Canada who know how hard he has worked over the years to compete at the international level."
Gaziev swam in a heat for Canada in the men's 4 x 100 freestyle relay in Tokyo in 2021.
He also swam for the relay team that finished fifth at the 2023 world championship. Gaziev won three Commonwealth Games relay medals in 2022.
Gaziev didn't race in the Olympic and Paralympic swim trials that concluded Sunday in Toronto, nor did he compete for Ohio State in February's Big Ten Championship. Gaziev was in his fifth season with the Buckeyes.
Gaziev waived his right to a hearing, admitted the violations and accepted his period of ineligibility in January, the CCES said.
His suspension ends May 31, 2025. Until then, he can't participate in any sport that follows the Canadian Anti-Doping Program, including training with teammates.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 23, 2024.
The Canadian Press
